Passiflora
by Rae-chan33
Summary: There were things Reborn wanted, and things he couldn't have. He knew both and he knew his own limits. But he was growing weary of having to tell himself he didn't want the only thing in the world he absolutely couldnt have. Absolutely. R27 rated M


**Most of this fic was written before the Shimon arc., so there will be no mention of any of those characters in this fic, nor will any of the characters be effected by the changes occurring in the current story arc.**

**This is a R27, meaning (adult)Reborn paired with Tsuna. Its a rare pairing that I really love, so I wanted to try writing it! This is rated M, so please don't read if that's not to your taste. **

**disclaimer: I do not own Kateikyo Hitman Reborn**

* * *

Reborn walked through the garden pathways of the Vongola mansion, alone, as was his preference. It was early morning, the sun's soft, light-silver beams peeking through the gaps between the leaves of the trees. The soles of his shoes clacked against the cement pathway, echoing across the courtyard's misted grass and gardens. His steps were unhurried, yet not lagging along unnecessarily.

Suddenly, he came to a stop, staring ahead with his charcoal grey eyes under the brim of his fedora. A light breeze smelling sweetly of wet grass with a floral undertone brushed past, and as he smoothed his thin curled sideburns between his fingers, he turned his head.

"Following me?" he inquired.

"You're up early."

Reborn smiled, closing his eyes."That would be true, had I gone to sleep in the first place." The guest to his company sighed.

"So you're ignoring me when I ask you to try to get more sleep?"

Reborn huffed in amusement, turning his full attention to the new arrival. As predicted, Sawada Tsunayoshi's face was frowning, his light brown eyes concerned. His former student was already 20 years old, having lived 6 years exposed to the mafia, so it was a wonder how he still had eyes that worried.

"You're a million years too early to be giving me suggestions, Dame-Tsuna." he advised. Tsuna just smiled a bit, exiting the doorway of the mansion's side entrance -positioned more toward the back of the estate- to walk beside his former home tutor. Tsuna grown as much as he seemed he was ever going to, still dwarfed by most of his body guards (all but the exception of the younger ones and many of the women), so he appeared more like a high school student at someone's wedding with the way he was dressed in his pinstripe suit and tie. The high collar of the Primo's cloak that swayed about Tsuna's ever-slight frame didn't help much either. Reborn had to admit, the young man's father -Iemitsu- was correct in his doting comments on how much Tsuna resembled his mother.

Reborn waited for him to catch up until the two began walking together, this time at a slightly slower pace. There was a scent of tobacco in the air, a very diluted and far off smell, but Reborn knew this meant that somewhere, Gokudera was watching over his Boss.

"Where were you going, Reborn?" Tsuna asked, watching a few small birds flutter past into the nearby cluster of trees.

"No where in specific." the older man answered. Tsuna hummed thoughtfully, just walking along next to him quietly. Reborn tried not to pay much attention, keeping his hands in his trouser pockets and staring straight ahead on the path.

"Hey, Reborn..."

"Hm?"

Tsuna hesitated, fixing his gaze across the field on a cottontail that darted through the dew soaked grass.

"You've gotten your adult body again, don't you want to go back into the world?"

Reborn felt something in his chest flinch.

"You think you're ready for me to just release you, no strings attached, as Vongola Don?" he interrogated smugly. Tsuna deadpanned.

"Of course! I think I can handle things as they are, Reborn.."

Reborn stared for a long while. Despite what people thought, he had never been a man to say things as he pleased. There were limits he set for himself, just like anyone else. He measured everything; his speech, movements, and his feelings, too, were all stalled and carefully dissected. Not his thoughts, those were free -all but _that _one. That one thought he decided it was not his place to think.

"You want me gone, do you? How cocky, Vongola's new Boss..."

"You know that's not what I meant! I'm thinking of _you_, here!"

Tsuna crossed his arms over his chest, looking a bit indignant that his concern for the other was going unnoticed. Reborn let his focus fall away from Tsuna, staring through the trees at the beams of light that were moving slowly across the vast lawns.

"And how were you thinking of me..?" he said in a voice just above a whisper, his deep tone thoughtful. Tsuna tilted his head.

"You seem restless. Like you want to move."

"Is that what you think?"

"It is."

Tsuna -staring at his former tutor's back- waited for his response. Reborn felt the young man's eyes burning into the black material of his suit. Away from Tsuna's gaze, he closed his eyes under the brim of his fedora.

"Well, you're wrong, in any case. Don't get all ahead of yourself thinking your intuition can tell you whats going on inside my head, Dame-Tsuna." he answered, much longer after the fact. Tsuna continued to walk along beside him, though neither were actually looking at the other.

"I can't be blamed for that. You never say anything about yourself, so all I can do is wonder about you. Even now." the younger man muttered, his brown eyes once again fixed on his companion's back. Reborn kept his eyes on the tree line.

"There's nothing you need to-"

"You say that each time!"

Tsuna had stopped walking. Reborn too, slowed his steps and stilled, turning his head only slightly to eye Tsuna from under his fedora. The Don was staring with an expression that seemed blank, if not for the very slight upwards turn of the eyebrows. Maybe it was concern, maybe not.

"Reborn."

The man turned back around, but stayed still. He searched for the misted treeline once more.

"Reborn." Tsuna repeated, then after a moment, "What is it that you want?"

The question hung thick in the morning air. Reborn wondered for only a moment if he should really say anything at all. It was an incredibly loaded question, even though Tsuna probably didn't mean much by other then a simple inquiry. Reborn shifted and started walking again. Tsuna didn't follow, and Reborn didn't expect him to.

_What is it that you want?_

Tsuna just stood where he'd been left, staring blankly at his former Instructor's retreating back. Reborn kept his eyes straight ahead, his footsteps holding a steady pace as he avoided answering something he wasn't sure how to. Tsuna might have been used to it by now, but it was a strange place to leave off, he was sure. The scent of burning tobacco grew slightly stronger, and soon the soft clacking of hard shoes on cement came as Gokudera came to retrieve his Boss. Reborn didn't turn to greet the Storm Guardian, mostly because he would have to see Tsuna's stare that probably lasted until Gokudera was able to coerce him into returning back into the mansion for breakfast.

What Reborn wanted.

"You're a hundred years too early to understand what I want."

Had Reborn been in the mood for it, he would have found it amusing that by saying it when he was alone, it sounded more like he was telling that to himself.

* * *

"Hey Old-Man!"

Reborn folded down the side of his newspaper at the call of a man who was in no position to be calling someone else 'old'.

"Call me old again, and I'll let you see the Primo Vongola a lot sooner then you'd like."

"Hahaha! Talk all you'd like, that young body you're in can't fool me, you old geezer!"

"Iemitsu. What are you doing here?" Reborn sighed, going back to the business section of his paper. Sawada Iemitsu, Tusna's doting father, laughed in his boisterous way, throwing himself down into the chair opposite of his long-time friend. The patio of the cafe where Reborn had been sitting (alone) was filled with shooting stares and whispers from the patrons, all of whom were seemingly bothered by this middle aged man who had suddenly appeared. Iemitsu's unkempt blond hair that was slowly turning white and his lack of general fashion sense while in Italy had never particularly bothered Reborn, but often earned frowns of distaste from civilians and mafia alike.

"I just got back from lunch with the two cutest companions a man could ask for, that's what I'm doing here!" Iemitsu cheered, a big grin on his face, the wrinkles that lightly creased on his face tightening as he smiled. Reborn gave a huff that was much like a small bit of laughter.

"I take it Tsuna took you and Nana out to eat, did he?" he mused, turning a page in his newspaper. His eyes briefly narrowed; someone took his sports section. Yamamoto.

"Like I would let my own son pay! _I _took _him_ out! Can't a father dote just a _little_ on his adorable son?" Iemitsu demanded. Reborn sipped from his espresso.

"There are a lot of things wrong with what you just said, mainly, that you dote more then the most obsessive father does over his only daughter." he stated. Iemitsu laughed. "Secondly; I'm fairly certain that Tsuna has more than enough money to take his parents out to lunch for a day."

"That isn't the point, Reborn! Imagine if Tsuna was your own son, then you'd understand!"

Reborn's fingers flinched on his small porcelain cup, that thing in his chest flickering for a fraction of a moment. Iemitsu hailed a waitress, asking for a black coffee in Italian that held no trace of Japanese accent. He'd known Iemitsu since the man was a trivial thug trying to make a name for himself in the mafia world -despite his connection with the 9th Vongola.

Reborn had been around to see this silly fool fall in love with and eventually marry his beloved Nana (though the man had bragged about catching her so often, Reborn had considered just shooting Iemitsu in the head to shut him up). Then came the time when he was nearly tossed out of his seat in this very same cafe 20 or so years ago by a full grown Vongola Outside Consultant blubbering hysterically with thick streams of tears flowing down his face and a sloppy grin, the whole time shouting to the rooftops of Italy that Nana was now with child. Reborn didn't expect Iemitsu's life could be much more perfect for him.

But then that child arrived in the world, not as a bouncing baby girl, as the blond man had been hoping for (having wanted a child as pretty as his Nana since the day he'd met the woman), but a red faced and teary eyed baby boy. To this day, Iemitsu had not stopped bragging about his son, driving each of his partners crazy when on missions that took him away from home. He'd go on and on, telling anyone with ears the story of his cute son and wife back home (Reborn would find out later that he'd chosen to excuse Tsuna's horrible uselessness as 'adorably shy' and 'quirky'). Then of course, when Tsuna had turned out to be Vongola's future 10th Don, Iemitsu had immediately looked to Reborn to watch over him when the time came.

Reborn stared into the dark brown of his espresso, keeping the chronic pang from disturbing his mood.

"Speaking of which, when're you going to be having any little hit men of your own, huh?" Iemitsu suddenly inquired with a grin. The question was like cold water down Reborn's spine.

"Considering all he years I _was_ a 'little hitman', I don't think that's something I ever want anything to do with." he replied, sipping his coffee in hopes of quashing the shudder that the thought of procreating brought on. "Besides, what kind of child could an assassin raise? The kid wouldn't have a chance at normalcy from the moment of conception."

Iemitsu shifted in his seat.

"You brought Tsuna up fine enough! And that had better not have been a shot at my own parenting skills. I brought Basil up just fine, didn't I?"

"And yet your _own_ son was was simply a photograph to you for 14 years..." Reborn muttered. He told himself not to say it, but it had slipped out anyway. Iemitsu grew silent, his eyes not as joyful as they had been. Reborn sighed, setting down his newspaper. "I'm sorry. I haven't slept yet."

The waitress came back with Iemitsu's coffee, the sharp sound of the cup against the glass of the table clearly audible in the evaporating tenseness. Iemitsu sighed, a deep 'whoosh' of air, coming from such a big man.

"I get what you meant. And I know perfectly well that _you_ know I couldn't always be going home to raise that boy properly when I was being watched by who knows how many enemy families." He reasoned. "If they knew that the Outside Consultant for the Vongola had a wife and a son, let alone the son being the next Don! I don't even..."

"It worked out for the best in the end, Iemitsu. It's fine. You're a father where it counts." Reborn said in as much of a reassuring way as he cared. "Tsuna is.." he paused "...He's a fine man now. One you should be proud to call your son."

The aging blond man smiled as Reborn went to stand up, the thin wrinkles filling as he smiled the grin that caused them to crack around his cheeks and eyes.

"Then I should be thanking you for that, Reborn. You're a good friend, to me and my family."

Reborn tossed down a few euros, avoiding his companion's smile in the way he often did. He left the small cafe with his fedora pulled over his eyes and his hands in his trouser pockets, the newspaper with the missing sports section tucked in the crook of his arm.

Iemitsu was his good friend, something that came at a premium if not at all in the mafia underground. Both he and Iemitsu knew who they could trust, and who they would eventually end up shooting through the skull in some dingy back ally. He was someone Iemitsu trusted, so much so that he placed his own precious son in his care.

Reborn walked the narrow cobblestone steps, the tall houses painted earth-tones and restaurants made of light brick and plaster loomed inward. He wondered to himself, for once letting forbidden thoughts free enough to saturate the walls he'd blocked them away in. Iemitsu trusted him.

But would he trust him if he knew the thoughts he held back were filled with nothing but his only son?

* * *

Later on in the evening, when the sky was dimming into a deep purple, and the clouds became trimmed in a light golden orange, Reborn walked the familiar path through the wide hallways of Vongola's mansion. After his brief meeting with Iemitsu, he'd gone about the general duty's he was charged with attending to; collecting debt money from those who'd taken out loans, overseeing the progress of the dozen or so underground casinos and gambling parlors, the sort of things Tsuna didn't want anything to do with, yet couldn't very well just cease to provide income for the family's expenses.

The house was fairly empty, a maid here or there would dash past with an armful of laundry or a cart of used tea cups. The Guardians were off doing various things; Yamamoto was currently at a Baseball training camp for the Major League, Ryouhei with his wife and Kyouko back in Japan, Lambo over at the Bovino estate, and those who remained, Gokudera wherever Tsuna was, and then both Mukuro and Hibari were either on assignment or doing whatever they pleased. And so with their absences, the mansion was silent.

Reborn reached the large double oak doors of Tsuna's office, pushing them open without knocking or any form of consideration. The worst he'd ever interrupted was his senior student, Dino Cavilone, attempting to put out a fire on the drapes he'd accidentally caused, while Tsuna ran about the room trying to locate the fire extinguisher. Now, voices speaking in calm tones cut in and out on the other side of the heavy double doors as Reborn made his way to push them open and make his way inside.

"-Told you that a thousand times."

"We don't have to rush things, you'll come around sooner or later, Tsunayoshi."

The Vongola's Mist and Cloud Guardians, both Hibari Kyouya and Rokudou Mukuro were standing on either side of the large polished desk with Tsuna sitting tiredly in between. Reborn tilted his head upward to survey them, taking in their close proximity to Tsuna, who was rubbing his temples in a weary sort of manner.

"Oh, its the baby." Hibari drawled, sliding away from the Decimo with his hands in his trouser pockets. Reborn lifted an eyebrow and smirked just a bit. Hibari still referred to him as 'the baby', even though it was far from accurate with his renewed physical body.

"Reborn, come on in, we're done here." Tsuna said, giving a pointed look to Mukuro, who smiled in the casually knowing way he often did.

"See you again, Vongola." he bidded, raising his hand up as he left the room, "I'll ask you to keep in mind what we talked about."

Reborn followed the illusionist with his eyes as he sauntered out of the room. Hibari too, looked back at Tsuna, who nodded and waved his hand dismissively with a yawn, before he too closed the large office doors behind him. The dull thud of the heavy doors shutting sealed in the silence as Reborn stood in front of Tsuna's large desk, staring at the young man who sleepily riffled through papers and ring boxes.

"Those two just visiting?" he inquired, inviting himself to sit on the edge of the desk despite there being available chairs scattered around the room. Tsuna made a grumbling noise in the back of his throat, leaning back in his over sized chair.

"Nngh. Getting their assignments. You know what a fight they put up, it takes hours to deal with them, especially when I have to send them off together." he said, stretching his arms up with a satisfying 'pop' cracking from his shoulder blades. Reborn gave a 'hmm' of understanding.

"Did you meet with Dad today?"

Tsuna's voice was tired, the question seeming more like a conversation starter then actual curiosity.

"I met with him. " Reborn answered absently. He glanced at the young man. "What did they want?"

"Hm?"

"Rokudo and Hibari."

Tsuna sighed, crossing his arms and lightly closing his eyes. "Nothing important. Nothing you need to bother knowing anyway." Reborn stared at him for a moment or two, watching the gold light of the setting sun flicker against the smaller man's face while the natural lighting slowly darkened.

"They're fond of you." he stated. Tsuna's eyes flicked open.

"Who is? Hibari and Mukuro?" he exclaimed, aghast at the thought "Those guy's just wanted me to go with them this time because neither of them can stand the other! I'm not a baby sitter!"

Reborn mentally scoffed, the idea that his student was so very naive being overridden with the memory of how many times he himself had said those same words to the 9th Vongola boss, all those years ago. He had had no interest in baby sitting a brat, let _alone_ the child of Iemitsu, who he had only been able to assume was a flimsy little powder puff of a child. When his assumptions were more or less proven factual, he despaired even more over the idea of indeed being more 'baby sitter' then 'home tutor'. However, now Tsuna had problems of his own to deal with, he was no longer a child, and no longer in need of a tutor.

So now what was he to Tsuna?

"That aside, are you eating with the family tonight?" Reborn inquired, taking his mission statement out of his breast pocket. Tsuna took it from him, absently looking it over with tired eyes.

"No, I think I'll skip dinner toni-"

"No, you won't."

Tsuna sighed up at the older man. "Just for tonight, I'm really busy! I've got to finish reading over these threat reports from this new family that just appeared in Sicily last month, and after that I have to look over our expenses for the year! The whole _year_, Reborn!"

"I can't see why you just don't get Gokudera to do it, he'd practically melt at the chance to be useful to you." the Hitman said with a slight smirk. "Besides, he has a mind for numbers."

"I don't want to trouble him, he's been pushing himself really hard lately." Tsuna replied, frowning. Reborn's smirk fell away, and his lips slipped back into a passive line.

"And where is he now?" he inquired. Reborn didn't have any plans with whatever answer Tsuna gave him, he wanted to think it was just his own occasional curiosity slipping upward as a means of prolonging the conversation. Tsuna's eyes flicked over the papers in his hands.

"Probably at the air port by now, on his way to Russia."

"Russia? What's the issue in Russia?"

Tsuna hesitated, shifting his body much like a bird would ruffle its feathers. "A hit."

Reborn stared for a moment or two under the brim of his fedora, studying the last glimmers of daylight against the young Don's busy eyes and messy hair. He knew very well Tsuna didn't want to use the term 'assassination', though that was full well what a 'hit' was. Gokudera was going to Moscow to kill someone causing trouble for the Vongola famigilia, someone apparently Tsuna had decided wasn't right to have the Varia sent after, but his own Right Hand. Or maybe he thought Gokudera would be less cruel then any member of the Assassination Squad.

Reborn stood up, surprising Tsuna for a moment, as he walked across the room to the tall bay windows. Leon gingerly crawled down his outstretched arm as his hand unlatched the lock on the window pane. Reborn felt Tsuna's eyes watching as the chameleon made his way from his companion's arm to the thin branch of the vines that clung to the Mansion's side, eager to find insects that would surface as the night began.

"The point of gathering Guardians is so that you don't have to shoulder the weight of being Don entirely on yourself." Reborn lectured, staring out at the quickly darkening landscape rather then the person he was speaking to. He heard Tsuna's very quick 'hmph' of a laugh.

"You know how I feel about that, I've told you more times then I can remember."

Reborn tilted his head down and glanced over with his eyes. Tsuna was resting his chin on a platform of his interwoven fingers, his eyes closed lightly and head tilted just a bit to the side, in a lazy sort of resting manner. "So what did Dad have to say to you today? Nothing embarrassing I hope."

"You're changing the subject."

"Let me."

"Stupid boy." Reborn felt his lips lift at the corners. He left Leon to his hunt, shutting the window panes and moving back over to the desk. Tsuna didn't bother opening his eyes as the tall Italian man decidedly took a seat on the arm rest of the large Boss's chair. Reborn faced away from Tsuna, though the space between them was considerably smaller then before. From here, he allowed himself the small pleasures of Tsuna's proximity.

For several long moments, they just sat in silence. Reborn weighing his thoughts and his instincts while Tsuna sat there with his peaceful expression. The grandfather clock across the room ticked with a heavy resonance, the fading sun outside dimming the room as the sky turned a dark blue. Reborn could feel the emptiness of the mansion, though three floors down dinner was most likely being held with the remaining few in the estate.

There was a sudden weight against Reborn's shoulder, and his eyes flicked wide open as Tsuna was now leaning back against him, lips parted as he took even, sleeping breaths. However, the older man knew full well Tsuna was not that quick to fall asleep.

"What are you doing?"

Tsuna made a noise, pushing his cheek against Reborn's shoulder, as if he were a pillow that wasnt quick comfortable enough.

"Nothing."

"Not 'nothing'. Don't lean on me." Reborn looked out the window. Tsuna sighed.

"You could shove me off, but you havn't yet, so you don't mind as much as you're making it seem like you do. Im sleepy.."

Reborn stared at the dark blue sky behind the window glass. His body was stiff and rigid, making Tsuna continue to push and make himself comfortable. The more he moved his face against the other man's shoulder, the more Reborn wanted to pull away. Tsuna was right. He could easily shove him off, or just stand up and leave the room.

"There, see. You know, you're a lot nicer then you used to b-"

Before Tsuna could finish his sleepy sentence, he was picked up and slammed on top of the desk, papers and documents scattering to the floor. Reborn slapped his palms down on either side of Tsuna's head, his fedora brim hiding his expression, though it was fiercely apparent from the thick ropes of furious aura peeling from his hunched shoulders that he was in no mood for light humor. Tsuna's eyes were wide and flickering.

"Whats with y-"

"I'm_ not_ a patient man, Tsuna." Reborn curled his hands into fists against the desk, his knuckles going white. Tsuna just stared, shocked and confused.

"I know-"

"You don't know. You have absolutely no_ idea_." Reborn told himself to stop, but he was just so... tired. Tired of pushing when he wanted to pull. Tired of interacting without acting. Tired of pretending he didn't want something when it was dangling right if front of him. Or as the case currently was, stuck beneath him. It was an opportunity that he would possibly never come by again. The emptiness of the house and the privacy that entailed.

It was just him and Tsuna alive in the world in this moment. No one else existed to tell him to stop. Just Tsuna, who's eyes shot open wide when Reborn's hands grasped either side of his buttoned shirt and ripped it open.

"Wh- Hey, what are you doing? Reborn!" Tsuna shouted. Reborn heard him, but his hands that were used to silencing people moved almost on their own accord. They were only listening to the part of Reborn that was savage instinct, and the part that was screaming logical reason went ignored.

He knew what he was doing when the feel of warm skin smoothed under his palms, and he disregarded the hands that were shoving hard at his chest to keep him away. Reborn didn't look at Tsuna's face, it was the one thing he found he could control about himself at that moment as he flipped him over and shoved the young man hard into the surface of the desk.

"Reborn! What the hell is wro-" the end of Tsuna's sentence was cut off when Reborn wrapped his fingers over his lips. Tsuna knew what was happening, and Reborn couldn't tell if the young man was fighting back or not, since he was using his full force to tear down his former student's expensive trousers anyway. Of course he had to be struggling, there was little doubt in the way his brown eyes kept glancing backwards in a panic, clear tears leaking from the brims.

Reborn wanted to stop himself, but he'd been wanting lots of things for a far longer amount of time. And if he had a moment to be honest with himself, he didn't _want _to stop, but knew that he _had_ to. He had to stop before things changed to the point that he wasn't himself. But his body had had enough of doing what he had to do, and not what he wanted.

Tsuna's fingers dug into the edges of the desk he was pressed against, his eyes wide open and watery, muffled sounds coming from between the fingers covering his mouth. Reborn could hear him catch back what he didn't want to acknowledge as a scream as he pushed himself into the young Boss. He knew it had to be painful, and Tsuna was too small a man while he was quite large, that doing this was causing even more damage that would leave a reminder to Tsuna physically for days.

Reborn half gasped and half choked, feeling himself pressed against the hot skin he'd only imagined for so long, feeling himself surrounded by incredibly tight molten heat. His mind drained of the regret and the desperation to stop himself, and he started moving the way he'd only dreamed he could. If given a moment to reflect, Reborn could admit his skills in the bedroom are one of his many talents, leading him to collect quite an array of lovers in all parts of the world. However, all the skills he'd honed over the years and years he'd been sexually alive were whiped clear from his head and replaced with sheer desperate abandon.

"Mmmf! Mnf!" Tsuna's eyes had clenched shut as his body pivoted from the force of Reborn's thrusts, and the hitman's hand never left from clamping over his mouth. His movement inside Tsuna was getting much smoother, lubricated by blood that dripped down the young man's thighs. Reborn just kept his eyes shut to it, focusing on the heat of the body under him and the hot coil building in his abdomen. His breathing was ragged and harsh, sweat lightly sliding down his temple as he sped up. His own heart beat filled his ears, and he could no longer tell what kinds of sounds Tsuna was making as he thrusted harder and faster. With a sort of 'tch'-like grunt through braced teeth, Reborn gripped the hand on Tsuna's waist hard, digging his nails in as his climax swept over him and he filled the younger man's insides.

His now softening member slid out, and he collapsed onto one elbow hovering over Tsuna's back. He was exhausted unlike any sexual encounter before hand, and would have liked very much to act like the old man he was and sleep right there on the desk, but as the haze of his orgasm dissolved, reality came rushing back. Tsuna was underneath him, breathing hard now that Reborn had retracted his hand. His eyes were shut and stained with tear marks, light red ovals forming on his cheeks where fingers had clamped down. He'd lost consciousness.

Reborn just started for a moment, both he and Tsuna's breathing the only sound in the room. Then, a slow, steady, and thick darkness at last began to fill Reborn's chest. He stepped back and forced himself to look at what he'd done. Trails of clotting blood smeared across the man's inner thighs, half crescent moon welts from where his long fingers had dug into Tsuna's hips were blooming angrily. A shiver ran through the small man's body and Reborn finally looked away, grabbing his jacket and laying it over Tsuna. He very carefully picked the brunette up, hearing a small noise that was probably him wincing in his sleep, and carried him across the office to the hidden door behind the bookcase that lead to the master bedroom of the estate. Tsuna's room.

Reborn didn't let his hands or fingers linger while cleaning the young Boss and dressing him in clean pajamas. He simply laid Tsuna in bed and pulled the sheets up to his thin chest, eyes not even looking at the sleeping face. He stood up from the bedside and as his hand moved to switch off the soft yellow glow of the bedside lamp, his sleeve was caught.

"Reborn..."

The dark swirling mass bubbled thick in his heart. He turned his head out a nearby window, dark from the late hour that had arrived without notice. He said nothing, just standing there with his sleeve caught between a thin finger and thumb.

"You wont.. tell me why.. will you..." his voice was hoarse. He'd probably cried his throat raw. Again, Reborn said nothing. There was a long, long moment of silence.

"You need to go.. don't you, Reborn...?" Tsuna whispered softly. Reborn gently pulled his arm away and turned to leave. His shoes thudded lightly against the red and gold angora rug as he made his way to the main door out.

"Reborn." Tsuna's voice was hard to hear from its soft pitch and his position across the room, but the hitman did stop, his fingers pausing on the door handle. His chin tilted just a bit in the direction of the bed, but he didn't allow himself to look back. Tsuna stayed quiet for a moment longer, fighting his body's desire for exhaustive sleep.

"It might.. not mean anything to you... but," the small brunette said, his voice fading softly. "I don't... hate you.."

Reborn closed the door behind him with a heavy 'thud'. He stood there outside the double doors in the hallway, palely lit by glowing electric candelabras, just staring at the grains in the hardwood floor. After a few moments he heard the hurried clacking footsteps and everpresent smell of tobacco.

"Hey, who the hell- Oh! Reborn-san!" the gruff looking face of Gokudera Hayato came around the hallway, the man blinking at him in surprise, a cigarette between his lips. Reborn mearely glanced at him, pushing himself away from the door and moving past him.

"We're you talking to Jyuudaime? I missed my plane, I just needed to ask him ab-"

"He's sleeping." Reborn cut him off, reaching his hand out as he walked past. "Let me borrow one" he added, shaping his hand to indicate a cigarette. Gokudera gaped at him for a moment before reaching for his pack and holding one out, lighting it when Reborn took it from him.

"I didn't know you smoked, Reborn-san.." Gokudera called after him, still standing by the door to the Boss's room. Reborn inhaled deeply as he walked down the hall.

"Looks like I do lot's of things nowadays..." he muttered. He didn't hear a reply from the Storm Guardian, but didn't quite expect to, since he hardly could be sure the silver haired demolitions expert heard him in the first place. He simply heard Gokudera pause for a moment then hurry off down another hall, not wanting to disturb his Boss's sleep.

* * *

Reborn leaned back against the wall of the mansion's east wing garden. The night was chilled and his fedora was still somewhere inside the estate, so he let it go. The cigarette he'd borrowed was long gone, instead only white water vapor left his parted lips as his warm breath met cold night.

For what felt like hours, he was completely alone, only his thoughts and the corroding blackness that hung heavy in his chest to keep him company. He personally didn't want a companion at the moment anyway, couldn't look anyone let alone an acquaintance in the eye or hold a conversation. He wanted to be alone. Needed to suffer and be eaten up whole by the thick guilt in his heart.

"You're not sleeping again."

The black guilt in his heart gave a painful throb. Why did _he_ of all people have to find him at this moment. He lifted his eyes up from the ground enough to see the hem of a brightly colored dress shirt, on the strong hand with fingers hooked into a belt glimmered a Vongola Outside Consultant ring.

"Oh whats this, something has the infamous Reborn in the dumps?" any other time, Iemitsu's cheerful voice wouldn't bother him.. but now was a completely different story.

"Hey.. Something must be really bothering you, huh old man?" Iemitsu strolled over and he leaned beside his old friend, rough blonde eyebrows tilted in light questioning. His 'old friend'... the thought made Reborn's guilt bubble hot in his stomach, and he felt sick. He didn't answer the other man though. Just leaned there, staring at the dark, moonlit feilds and trees, in much a familiar way he'd done earlier that morning. Iemitsu had taken the hint and dropped the topic, instead just standing in his friend's company.

His friend. His old friend he'd known for more then 30 years. His true friend who'd trusted him with his whole world, his only son and precious child. The heir of the Vongola name.

"Iemitsu..." ash grey eyes closed softly. The blonde man turned.

"Hm?"

Opening his eyes again slowly, taking in how beautiful the millions of stars were that filled the Italian sky. A midnight breeze stole past, rustling the trees peacefully and making their silver leaves glimmer and dance.

"I raped Tsuna."

* * *

**To be continued...**

**Thank you for reading! Cant say I know when I'll update to the next part, I've been working on this one chapter off and on for so long. If you're still aware of my other fic's existence (the Kangoshi series), then let me tell you I didn't abandon it, just been having a tough year and have a bit of it written, I hope I'll get inspired enough to complete it soon.**

**Thank you for reading!**


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